


The Spiderlings

by Kyuubiluver342



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Aliens, Clones, Gen, Giant Spiders, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Kidnapped Tony Stark, Mind Control, Mind Manipulation, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Spiders, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:28:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27143845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuubiluver342/pseuds/Kyuubiluver342
Summary: Tony had a feeling this wasn't going to be just a normal kidnapping. Especially with clones and giant spiders involved.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	The Spiderlings

Really, if Tony Stark thought he would be kidnapped today, he would have worn nicer underwear. As he sat in the back of a dark van, being driven around by two blockheads who didn’t have a brain cell between them, much less a clue on how to kidnap someone properly, he wondered how long it would take FRIDAY to hunt these fuckers down. Honestly, he would be a little impressed if she beat JARVIS’ record of two and a half minutes.

As the van jerked to a stop and the two buddies began to bicker about whether to turn left or right, Tony wondered if he would be home in time for dinner. He hoped so, it was lasagna night and he promised Peter a movie marathon. Finally, they started to move again and Tony settled down, idly counting the seconds between each turn and stop. Years of failed kidnappings (and one really good one, but he shook that thought off) had taught him three major rules.

One, map out the travel time in your head. If Tony’s mental map of downtown New York City was correct, he was heading towards the harbor (how fucking stereotypical can you be? I mean, really, guys, try to be at least somewhat creative). The harbor meant probably a shipping yard and that meant Tony had plenty of time to come up with an escape plan.

Two, always listen in on the conversations between the kidnappers. A lot of information could come from them, especially when they couldn’t keep their mouths shut. The two morons up front weren’t the ringleaders, for obvious reasons. They kept referring to a “Mr. Green”, apparently the actual mastermind behind this whole event, whom they were absolutely terrified of. Tony had to roll his eyes behind his blindfold. Really, if this was another environmental extremist group, he was going to be pissed. He had already changed the world with his revolutionary green ideas, what more did they want! He couldn’t reverse time to undo pollution!

And three, annoy your kidnappers until they just gave up and left him somewhere to be found. Tony Stark had been kidnapped so many times, he had a routine by now. Honestly, he should add comedian to his resume. Right below “Former Avenger” and just above “Weapons Dealer” sounded good in his head. With that mental note in place, the van stopped and he was yanked to his feet. Hands cuffed, eyes blindfolded and mouth duct taped, Tony followed along as he was dragged.

The doors squealed when they went inside and even through the blindfold, he could tell the place was dark, really dark. He listened for any sounds other than their footsteps, but he didn’t hear anything. God, what he would give to be a super soldier with superhuman hearing right now. They stopped and he was forced to his knees, making him grunt.

“Easy. We do not want our friend hurt.” a new voice said.

“Sorry.” the grunt replied sheepishly.

Ah, so this was Mr. Green. Tony raised his head and wondered when the monologue would start. They always started with a monologue, that’s when Tony got in most of his best quips in. He heard footsteps coming towards him and he held very still when he heard fabric shifting. 

“Close your eyes, Mr. Stark.” the new voice said when he felt the man reach around him to the back of his head.

Tony closed his eyes and a second later, the blindfold was removed. Tony slowly peeked his eyes open and found himself staring into green… blue? Nope, definitely green eyes. Though they shifted like water. The man was at least handsome, strawberry blond with chiseled cheekbones. His nose might have been broken once or twice, but other than that, Tony could admit when a guy was hot.

“Ahhh, there we are.” the man cooed, cupping Tony’s cheek like an old lover.

Tony pulled back and gave him a bored look. They heard some shifting and the man glanced past Tony with a dark look.

“Can I help you, gentlemen?” he asked.

The one coughed and took a step forward.

“We brought you Stark, like you ordered. When are we calling for the ransom?” he demanded with a growl.

Ah, so definitely Mr. Green then. Green sighed deeply, as if the very question caused him some kind of annoyance. He pulled away from Tony and stood up, making Tony notice that he was very tall and the suit he was wearing was tailored to his form. Tony frowned, something about this didn’t really sit right. There was something about this man that was just slightly… off. Something about the way he moved, it was too fluid, too perfect for a human body that had things like bones. Mr. Green suddenly adjusted his cufflinks and Tony found his stomach dropping a bit. Those cufflinks…

“Yes, yes, I know you both are rather impatient to get your pay out. Go get the van and bring it in here before someone sees it.” Green said boredly.

The two grunts grumbled and mumbled, but turned to walk away, heading back the way they had come in. At that moment, Green held up his arm and Tony’s blood went cold. He tried to yell, but it was too late. There was one pop and the one grunt’s head exploded. His buddy cried out in shock and turned to look at them with horror, getting his shot between the eyes. Tony watched as his body hit the floor and then slowly looked at Green.

Those cufflinks, he knew those fucking cufflinks because he had been the one to make them! But they had been lost years ago! Tony stared in shock, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

“Well, that’s quite messy. Really is a shame, but that’s how business works, doesn’t it, Mr. Stark?” Green said as he adjusted his cufflinks again, smiling at Tony as if he expected him to agree.

Tony made a confused sound before his arm was grabbed and he was pulled to his feet with strength that was anything, but human. Tony’s breath hitched as he walked over to the car hiding in the shadows, the man looping his arm through Tony’s bound ones and talking like they were old friends.

“I must admit, Mr. Stark, I didn’t expect this to be so easy! I mean, really, a man of your power and stature! So easily snatched off the streets. But then again, even great men have their downfalls. A last minute run to the donut shop was exactly what we needed.” Green said, talking animatedly as if he hadn’t just murdered two men.

Tony gave him a look, but got into the second car with no struggle. Admittedly, this went against less important rule number 4 of being kidnapped, never let them take you to a second location, but Tony was pretty sure the man would just carry him if he attempted to flee or fight. So, Tony went along willingly, though he did have another reason for allowing the man to manhandle him so.

He eyed the cufflinks again, the ones he had made, the ones he had lost in a failed kidnapping about a year before Afghanistan. Cufflinks he was pretty sure if he flipped them over, they would have his initials on the underside. Tony’s eyes narrowed.

“So, tell me, Mr. Stark, how are you feeling?” Green asked, finally paying attention to Tony as the car glided out of the warehouse and down the street.

Tony’s eyes darted to the driver’s seat, but there was no one there. A self driving system then? Certainly takes out the need for one more person. Tony knew Stark Industries had just finished putting in their patent for it, but as far as he knew, no other company had come even close to having a true self driving car. Except for a company called Nebula, but since their head scientist had gone missing about a half a year ago, the project had been put to the side. Tony suddenly wondered if… Tony’s thought was cut off when his face was grabbed and his face was jerked to stare at Green instead.

“Mr. Stark, I do not appreciate being ignored. So, if you would kindly answer my question.” Green said coldly.

Tony, instead of trying to speak, just raised an eyebrow and looked down to his taped mouth before looking back at him. Green blinked and looked down before letting out a chuckle.

“Ah! Yes, right, right! Completely forgot. Thank you, Mr. Stark, for reminding me.” Green said.

Tony winced as he immediately reached out and ripped it off, taking a few mustache hairs with it. Green tossed the tape to the floor without a care and Tony raised an eyebrow.

“Were you raised in a barn? Didn’t your mother ever tell you to clean up after yourself?” Tony mocked.

His shoe slid over and he stuck the tape to the bottom of his sole while Green was distracted. Green let out an amused chuckle and leaned back in his seat, eyes twinkling.

“Ah, there it is. The famous Stark Wit.” Green said, smiling.

Tony found himself staring because, if he was looking too closely, there were just a few too many teeth in his mouth.

“What are you, exactly?” Tony asked.

Green blinked, startled before he placed a hand against his chest.

“Me? I am just a representative, Mr. Stark. For someone else who is dying to meet you.” Green said sweetly.

Tony didn’t like the implications.

“Ok, so what is this other person after? Money? Weapons? My suits? Because he isn’t getting any of it.” Tony stated stubbornly.

Green threw back his head and laughed and Tony saw that his neck was too far back to be comfortable for any human. Green was close, but to someone like Tony who had studied humans and human behavior, he stuck out like a sore thumb. To any other human, they might get just an uncomfortable feeling around the man, not able to put their finger on why something about him rubbed them the wrong way.

“Oh, Mr. Stark, you crack me up!” Green said, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

“What’s so funny?” Tony asked.

Green was suddenly in his face, way too close to be comfortable for either of them. Tony had to really hold himself back from pressing against the door to get away from him. Stark men were made of iron and that meant meeting his captor’s eyes head on and not flinching. 

“Mr. Stark, my employer is not someone who wants pennies when he could have a whole mountain of gold. No, no, he doesn’t want your money or your weapons or even your suits. What he wants… is your brain.” Green said, smiling that way too many teeth smile and Tony felt a shudder go through him.

That was what he was afraid of. Tony swallowed hard.

“My brain is pretty fucked up. So I hope he knows what he is dealing with.” Tony replied.

Green leaned back and Tony let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. His heart was pounding and Tony had to remember to keep his calm. There was no point in panicking, according to unofficial rule number five of being kidnapped. He just had to keep his eyes open and he would find a way to escape.

“We are almost there.” Green said pleasantly.

Tony glanced outside, startled to realize how far they had gone without him noticing. He still recognized the area, but they were pretty far outside the city. How had they travelled so far in such a short amount of time?

“Where are we?” Tony asked.

“Right over the bridge. My employer doesn’t care for the hustle and bustle of your great city.” Green replied.

They drove for another half hour, all the while Tony wondered who this strange employer Green was talking about was.

“Alright, I’ll shoot. Where’d you get the cufflinks?” Tony finally asked, the thought nagging at him.

Green smiled, but this time, it had no teeth. Nervous maybe? He seemed to be fiddling with them now.

“Well, my employer gave them to me. Even taught me how to use them.” Green said calmly.

“That’s funny, because if they are mine like I think they are, those ended up at the bottom of a river a few years back. So no one should have them.” Tony replied.

“Ah, how curious then.” Green stated.

Tony’s eyes narrowed, feeling a bit uncertain. With that, they pulled up in front of a large mansion and Tony found himself staring because god damn it, why did this place look familiar too! The car stopped before the front door and Green got out before coming around and letting Tony out too. The second Green turned to pull them towards the door, Tony ripped himself away from the man and bolted.

“Hey! Mr. Stark!” Green yelled.

Tony bolted back down the driveway, hoping maybe he could get out to the road and find help. But as he reached the end of the driveway, someone slipped from the bushes and grabbed him around the waist. Tony yelped and tried to fight back, but it was no use.

“Now, now, Mr. Stark! Please, be reasonable.” the man said.

Tony froze and wiped his head around, staring at Green with wide eyed confusion. And yet, this wasn’t Green. Looked exactly like him, down to the crooked nose and too many teeth, but Green had green eyes. This new Green had grey eyes. He looked back up the driveway to see Green coming towards them, walking along like he had all the time in the world. Which Tony guessed he did because this new Green, now dubbed Grey based on his eyes, turned and met him halfway, carrying Tony like he weighed nothing. Which really wasn’t wrong, Tony had lost a lot of weight after the events the world dubbed the Civil War, but even still! He was a grown ass man, damnit!

Grey handed Tony off to Green before turning and walking away. As he did, Tony kicked him in the back, making him stumble. Tony smirked when he saw the tape move from the bottom of his shoe to Grey’s back, but no one else seemed to notice. Green held Tony and sighed, much like a disappointed parent with a misbehaving child.

“You had me quite scared there, Mr. Stark! I was worried you would get hurt.” Green said turning back to the mansion and throwing Tony over his shoulder.

“Yeah, well I didn’t think you had a fucking twin running around. Thought one of you ugly fuckers was enough!” Tony snapped.

Green threw back his head and laughed as they entered the mansion.

“Oh, Mr. Stark, I don’t have a twin!” Green said as they walked along.

“Well then, your genes must be something.” Tony muttered.

“My genes are quite amazing according to my employer.” Green replied and Tony felt a shiver go through him when they passed by a window and Tony saw another Green, this time with deep orange eyes.

“What… are you?” Tony whispered.

Green turned his head and smiled.

“Why, Mr. Stark. We are evolution at its finest.” he replied.

Tony ended up in a pretty nice dining room, tied to a chair as he watched what honestly seemed like a sci-fi movie come to life. As he sat there, four more Greens, all with various eye colors, came in and started to cover the table in food. Tony’s mouth started to water when he saw things like roasted duck, lasagna, chicken alfredo and more. It smelt amazing. All the while the original Green stood by his side, watching this all with careful eyes.

When the table was fully stocked, Tony was startled when his chair was pushed in and his hands were uncuffed. Tony raised an eyebrow as Green stood by his side, smiling brightly.

“Please, let me know if there is anything particular you would like to start with.” Green said pleasantly.

“Sorry, Copycat, but I’m not hungry.” Tony replied, crossing his arms.

Unfortunately, Tony’s stomach said otherwise.

“Ah, please, Mr. Stark. My employer would be most upset if you starved while in my care.” Green said with some distress.

Tony raised an eyebrow, but didn’t move. Green seemed unnerved, looking at his clones with some worry.

“Like I said, I’m not hungry.” Tony replied.

Green frowned and then sighed before leaning down and placing a hand on Tony’s forehead. Tony was about to snap at him for touching without permission, but just as quickly, Green pulled back and smiled.

“Mr. Stark, we wouldn’t poison you! You are far too important!” Green laughed and his clones joined in. 

They stopped when Green did and Tony felt very, very unnerved.

“You read my mind?” Tony demanded.

“Of course! I had to understand why you were being so stubborn. Now I understand that you have been through a lot and you are scared. That is perfectly understandable!” Green said calmly.

Tony’s spine stiffened.

“I am not scared of you.” Tony growled.

Green laughed again, making his clones laugh too and Tony was wondering if they were part of some sort of hivemind. Would certainly explain a lot. Green stepped up and grabbed some food to put on Tony’s plate.

“I told you, I am not eating anything.” Tony said.

Green just blinked at him.

“Mr. Stark, if we wanted you dead, you would be dead. Please eat. You will need your strength for what comes next.” Green stated calmly.

That was true, but that didn’t mean there weren’t drugs in the food to keep him under control. He eyed the plate, built up with most of his favorites and turned his head away. There was a sigh and Tony saw one of the clones move.

“What are you doing! Hey!” Tony yelped as the clone came over and got him in a headlock. 

Tony’s mouth opened instinctually and Green took the moment to shove food in his mouth. Tony choked, spitting out the food a bit before the clone’s hand came over his mouth, forcing him to swallow, lest he choke to death. Green nodded, pleased.

“This will go much faster if you eat of your own free will, Mr. Stark. But I will force feed you if I have to.” Green explained.

Tony eyed him and then the clone, struggling to get his heart under control and his breathing back on track. He noticed the clone moving towards him again and flinched back.

“I’ll eat! I’ll eat.” Tony said, panicked.

The clone looked towards Green, who nodded, and the clone turned to return to where it had been standing before. Green held out a fork and smiled.

“Eat up. Please tell me if there is anything you want more of.” Green said.

Tony ate a few small bites, making sure to only eat just enough that his hunger disappeared. Green frowned when he pushed the plate away, but the clones quickly moved in and cleaned up, disappearing into a door at the other end of the room.

“Now that you have eaten, I believe it’s time for you to meet my employer.” Green stated and Tony frowned.

“Fine, but at least let me know who I am dealing with. What kind of guy is he?” Tony demanded.

He was startled when Green moved behind him and tilted the chair back. He realized that the chair had wheels and tried to get up, but it was no use. He was strapped in.

“Well, my employer can be quite eccentric. Truly one of a kind.” Green started.

“Sounds like the start of a supervillain to me, but go on.” Tony grumbled.

“Ah ha! Mr. Stark! Your cunning wit gets me every time.” Green chuckled.

Tony huffed. The guy had a good sense of humor, but he wasn’t sure he wanted this guy to think he was clever or funny.

“Alright, enough with the flattery, just tell me who the hell you work for, ok? I’m getting sick of this game.” Tony said angrily.

It was getting colder. Somehow they had entered a part of the house that was dark and cold. Tony could actually see his breath at times and Tony started to shiver.

“Ah, well, I can’t exactly say his name.” Green stated.

“Enough with the crap! Who the hell sent you after me, huh!” Tony demanded.

It was so cold, he felt like he was in Siberia again and even though he knew he was in a mansion somewhere in New Jersey, his heart began to beat wildly. Panic was moving through his veins.

“Here’s the thing, Mr. Stark. What I call him is almost impossible to pronounce with your human tongue.” Green stated.

Tony paused and swallowed hard.

“Is that so? Are we talking aliens or something?” Tony asked.

“Aliens… well I suppose you can call us that.” Green said pleasantly.

“You said you were evolution.” Tony demanded.

“And we are! Yes, yes, the absolute perfection when it comes to evolution. He made sure of that.” Green nodded.

Tony scowled.

“You said he was your employer! Now you are saying he made you! Which is it?” Tony snapped.

They came upon a door and Tony felt every hair on his body stand on end. He knew, once this door opened, something would change. This would go from a normal kidnapping to something more. His rules would go right out the window in that case.

“Well, to be honest with you, Mr. Stark. He is both. He is my employer, my savior, my creator and everything in between. I will admit, your human language is quite confusing. I suppose calling him my creator would have been a better idea. Oh well.” Green shrugged as the doors opened.

Tony pressed back in his chair, realizing they were in the main ballroom of the mansion and it was full. All along the walls were tubes, filled with men just like the one behind him in various states of evolution. Some looked fully grown, others were children and the rest were just piles of cells floating in some kind of liquid. Along the floors and walls were wires and cables, connecting all back to the thing at the center.

If Tony was going to describe the thing in the middle, it looked like a throne, a chair high up on a platform with a large winged chair with all kinds of wires and cables going into it. The chair was the dead center of everything, but above that was something worse, much worse.

“The hell.” Tony muttered.

He stared at the… creature? Thing? He wasn’t sure what to call it. It looked like a huge, pure white spider with blue eyes all over its face and legs. It was at least the size of the Hulk and hung down from the ceiling from some sort of wiring.

“Isn’t he glorious? Truly a marvel.” Green said sweetly.

Tony’s chair started to move and Tony froze.

“What are you doing?” Tony demanded, trying to break out.

He didn’t want to go anywhere near that thing! His breath came out panicky and fast. The room started to spin as he fell into panic. A hand was placed on his shoulder and he grabbed it as those large blue eyes landed on him.

“Easy, Mr. Stark, easy! I promise you, he won’t harm you! Well, we hope he won’t.” Green said, mumbling the last part.

“What? What the hell does that mean!” Tony hissed.

“Well…” Green said, bringing him to the bottom of the platform.

Unable to get free, Tony watched in horror as one long leg came down, reaching out for him. He held back a scream, but just barely. The creature paused, as if sensing his panic and pulled back. Green hummed and turned the chair around so Tony faced Green and not the huge spider thing. Green knelt down and placed his hands on Tony’s knees.

“Mr. Stark, I know this might seem scary, but I promise you, if you work with us, you won’t get hurt. We hope you are stronger than the… others we brought here.” Green said, glancing to the side.

Tony turned his head and shuddered. In the corner was a pile of corpses, most of them little more than skin and bones, large gaping holes out the back of their heads. Tony recognized a few as scientists and other geniuses that had been disappearing around the world, including the one on top. The head scientist at Nebula, the one trying to make a self driving car before he disappeared. He too was dead, eyes open wide, face twisted in a scream of agony.

“W-What did you do to them?” Tony muttered.

Green sighed deeply and stood up.

“My creator is sick, Mr. Stark. He has been around almost a millenia and his body is breaking down. He needs a new host, someone who will be able to handle his vast amount of power and brilliance, someone to lead both his people and his perfect creations. We need someone like you, Mr. Stark.” Green said.

Tony’s mouth opened and closed, unable to even comprehend what he was saying. That’s when Green took a few steps back, hands in his pockets and Tony realized while he had been focusing on Green, he should have been paying attention to the beast behind him. Tony whipped his head around, crying out as he was pulled from the chair, taken by the creature’s legs and dragged into the throne like chair. He fought like a wildcat, struggling, clawing and jerking, trying to get free.

Someone sighed and his face was grabbed, held between two very strong hands. Green was staring at him with a smile.

“Easy, Mr. Stark. You don’t want him to miss.” Green said gently.

“Miss what! Let me go! Please, please let me go!” Tony begged, begged like he had never begged in his life.

This was more than a kidnapping, more than a bad guy who wanted to hurt him, more than anything Tony had dealt with before and he wasn’t above begging, not anymore.

“Oh, Mr. Stark. It will be ok. I promise. It will all be over soon.” Green smiled when Tony felt something sharp press against the back of his head.

Tony froze, staring at Green with wide, terrified, wet eyes. Hoping, praying that Green had some semblance of a heart beating in his chest, but Green just rubbed under his eyes as the instrument pierced the back of his head and Tony blacked out from the pain.

Tony was floating, but it wasn’t peaceful, like when he used to pass out after a drinking binge or a building binge. He felt like he was halfway submerged in thick, dark water, slowly drowning as it attempted to drag him under. He gave a weak attempt to struggle, but he could barely move. There were sounds and words that he didn’t understand all around him, sensations and other things that made his head spin. There was too much, too much, too much! He whined, feeling like he was drowning under all the sensations that were forcing their way into his brain. He felt like he might just explode. Hands came up and he started to be dragged down faster. He was sinking.

“Big man in a suit of armor, take that off, what are you?” a voice said and Tony knew that voice, but it didn’t click who it was right now.

He wanted to beg for a second chance. He could be good. He could be a good hero, just give him a chance. Please, please, please just believe him, just this once.

“Iron Man Yes, Tony Stark Not Recommended.” the words floated before his eyes causing his heart to ache and then they faded away.

Tony squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his heart throb before forcing them back open. Words, phrases, events flashed before his eyes, causing him to be pushed down, crushed under the weight before finally, a man with blue eyes was sitting above him, in his hands a shield. Tony tried to raise his hands up to protect himself, but the shield came down anyway and there was a sickening crack.

“I’m sorry, Tony.” the man whispered.

With those words alone, Tony’s world turned red. Rage unlike any other ran through him.

“No, you're not.” Tony replied angrily.

He surged forward and tore himself from the sink hole he was being dragged into.

Tony’s eyes opened and he let out a howl at the same time the being above him did and Green smiled brightly, but that smile quickly died when he realized something had gone horribly, horribly wrong. Tony slumped in his throne, eyes closed, but even still, he could see. The being’s eyes were his eyes. He lightly tapped into that and felt an arm move, but it wasn’t his arm. He opened his eyes and watched as he moved the other being’s legs.

“What? No! What have you done!” Green yelled, horrified.

Tony turned his head and stared Green down. He felt something settle in his mind and he smiled.

“Come here.” he ordered and Green shivered, but was quick to obey, coming to his side.

“Remove them.” Tony ordered again.

He removed the binds before stepping back, staring at Tony with some kind of awe and fear. Tony held out a hand and Green took a second before bending down to rest his cheek against it.

“You… you overtook him.” Green whispered and Tony smiled.

“He was weak, like you said. I am strong.” Tony replied.

Green closed his eyes and fell to one knee, pressing his lips to Tony’s palm.

“My creator.” Green whispered.

Tony grabbed his cheek and grinned.

“No. Your king.” Tony corrected.

He felt a shift in the air and looked up. Slowly, from the ceiling, little spider-like spiderlings started to appear. They were of various sizes, some as big as trucks and others as small as mice. Tony gasped as he watched them appear, staring at them with awe and something else. Something more, something that wasn’t coming from his brain, but was still influencing him. One of them moved closer to him, about the size of a small dog. It looked up at him and he looked at it.

_ “Father?” _ it chirupped.

It wasn’t out loud, but in his head and Tony felt a wave of adoration run through him.

“Come here.” he muttered.

The small thing, his child, quickly climbed the chair and curled up in his lap, chirping happily. Tony couldn’t stop the overwhelming feeling of joy as he held the small being closer. These were his children, his babies, and he would kill to protect them. Green was still kneeling by his side and Tony stared at him.

“I am hungry.” he declared.

“Yes, my king.” Green said.

“What do you mean he’s not here?” Colonel James Rhodes, aka Rhodey, demanded as he wheeled himself into the elevator at Avenger Tower.

“I’m sorry, Colonel, but Boss has yet to return from the donut shop he left for about five hours ago. I have been attempting to find him since, but I have yet to pinpoint his location. That is why I contacted you. Peter is here and he is distressed that the Boss hasn’t arrived yet. I hoped you would comfort him so I could focus.” FRIDAY replied.

Rhodey growled as the elevator started to move. Tony was missing and even his beloved AI couldn’t find him? This was trouble.

“FRIDAY, I need you to activate Code Come Find Me.” Rhodey demanded.

“Code accepted. Emergency protocol has been activated.” FRIDAY replied as the doors dinged open.

“Emergency for what?” Peter said, giving Rhodey a heart attack as the kid dropped from the ceiling.

“JESUS! Spiderboy, come on kid!” Rhodey said, pressing a hand to his chest, trying to calm his racing heart.

“Whoa! Sorry, Colonel! Didn’t mean to settle you.” Peter said nervously.

Rhodey let out a breath and looked at the kid. Why, out of all interns, Tony had gotten attached to the one with literal superpowers, he would never know, but it was just his luck. Peter gave him wide eyes and Rhodey sighed.

“You activated an emergency protocol? Why? Is it because of Mr. Stark? Is he ok?” Peter started rambling off questions and Rhodey sighed again.

“Kid… Kid... KID!” Rhodey yelled when Peter started to get himself into a state.

Peter stopped, looking at him with wide eyes and shaking hands. Rhodey knew the signs of panic when he saw them and smiled, taking his hands into his own.

“It’s ok, alright? That protocol is barely an emergency protocol. It’s just something I use from years of keeping an eye on Tony, ok?” Rhodey said gently.

That was a bold face lie. His normal protocol (Code Find My Idiot) was a lot less extreme than this one was, but Peter didn’t have to know that. Peter smiled at him and gave a shaky nod.

“Do you think he’s ok? Mr. Stark, I mean.” Peter said softly and Rhodey nodded.

“I’m sure he’s fine. Probably just caught up somewhere. You’ll see. He’ll be home before you know it.” Rhodye lied and Peter nodded.

“I hope so. Aunt May made lasagna.” Peter stated quietly.

“Did she? Well, we’ll be sure to save some for Tony when he drags his ass home, ok? For now, let’s start the movie.” Rhodey pushed Peter towards the TV and Peter nodded.

While Peter lost himself, trying to find the perfect movie to watch, Rhodey grabbed a Starkpad and logged in. He had a genius to find.

Tony bit into the roasted duck and smiled, humming with pleasure. The clones… no, wait His clones, all waiting with anticipation, staring him down. All around the room, his babies were stationed, some were eating, others just dozing. It was comforting, calming, something Tony had never had before.

“Delicious. Thank you.” Tony said, blue eyes twinkling.

“Thank you, my king. We live to please.” Green said brightly and Tony could feel his sincerity. 

Tony took a small forkful and fed it to the small one on his lap, who chirped with delight at the taste. He smiled, rubbing the top of it’s head as he turned back to his dinner, but even still, his mind was racing. He was right about the hivemind. Both the babies and the clones were connected to him, his will was theirs and it felt strangely wonderful. He felt no fear here, no anxiety, or depression. He didn’t need to be on his guard all the time. He felt like a god with their adoration and love, which he mentally devoured, brain starved of such emotion.

“My king, what is your next move?” Green asked.

Tony turned to him, his eyebrow raised.

“Move?” he parroted.

“Yes, we need more supplies, food and such for all of us. What are your orders?” Green asked.

Tony paused, chewing slowly as he sat there. His mind started to race and he could see Green wince, definitely not used to how fast his mind was moving. Finally, Tony came up with a plan and Green straightened up.

“Thank you, my king. We will do as you command.” Green said with a bow. 

The other clones bowed and left as Tony watched, idly stroking the head of the creature on his lap.

Tony never returned to the Tower that night. Peter ended up falling asleep on the couch after three Star Wars movies, but Rhodey stayed up all night with FRIDAY. They searched every camera they could hack into, every street and street corner. They found Tony standing at a crosswalk around the time FRIDAY had lost connection with him, but that was it. He was standing there, a white van passed by and then he was gone.

It was a ridiculous amount of time for Rhodey to realize that maybe Tony had been grabbed by the men in the van and then he had tracked the van across the city, losing it a few times before FRIDAY found it again and then they stopped at a warehouse at the harbor. Rhodey held his breath when he saw three people climb out, one clearly bound before being taken inside. 

He waited for something to happen, but as minutes ticked by, Rhodey got the oddest feeling that he had missed something.

“FRIDAY, play it back again, from the start.” Rhodey called.

The video rolled back and he watched it very carefully. A few minutes later, something moved out of the corner of the left side, but Rhodey couldn’t tell what it was.

“FRIDAY, can you get a different angle?” he called.

“I’m sorry, but there aren’t any other cameras in that area pointing towards that section.” FRIDAY replied and Rhodey felt his heart sink.

“Can you scan the area again?” he asked.

“I’m trying, Colonel, but an electrical fire last night knocked out most, if not all the cameras, except this one.” she said sadly.

Rhodey had a sinking realization that the fire she was talking about might have planned. He swallowed and closed his eyes.

“Is something wrong?” someone suddenly asked.

Rhodey bit down on a scream, only vaguely remembering that Peter was sleeping nearby.

“What is with you people and giving me heart attacks! I am not that young anymore!” Rhodey hissed, staring at Vision.

The robot man looked a little confused as he floated over.

“You seem stressed, Colonel.” Vision stated.

“Well, I am.” he replied hotly.

Vision just blinked at him.

“Does it have something to do with Mr. Stark?” Vision asked quietly.

Rhodey’s eyes darted to Peter and he waved Vision to follow him. They went into the hall and Rhodey sighed.

“Tony’s gone. He went missing about ten hours ago.” Rhodey said quietly.

Vision frowned.

“That is not good. And there is no sign of him?” Vision asked.

“We had him for a while, but we lost his track again. The fact that he hasn’t somehow called for help…” Rhodey trailed off.

“You fear he has been disabled?” Vision asked.

“Ten hours is a long time to be missing, especially for Tony. I mean, I’ve seen Tony be kidnapped before and he is usually back within an hour or two. The last time he was gone so long...” Rhodey trailed off.

“Was Afghanistan.” Vision finished.

Rhodey nodded, too terrified to speak. What if this was the same thing? What if his friend was gone for good this time? What if Tony was dying somewhere, scared and alone? He covered his mouth with his hand and never felt so useless. Vision, sensing his turmoil, placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Calm yourself, Colonel. If you tell me where this warehouse is, I will go at once and see if I can find anything.” Vision stated.

“Thank you.” Rhodey whispered.

Neither of them realized there was someone listening in. Peter’s eyes narrowed as he stayed really still, memorizing the address Rhodey gave.

Vision left the Tower and headed towards the warehouse Rhodey had told him about. Once there, he found this was going to be a little more complicated than he thought. The entire area was swarming with police and EMTs. The white van was where Rhodey had told him it was, but Vision knew if he tried to get closer, there was a good chance he would attract too much attention. Uncertain of what to do, he floated there, watching as two gurneys were removed from the warehouse, faces covered.

“Whoa.” a soft voice said, making Vision look down.

“I do believe you were asleep when I left.” Vision stated, staring at Spiderman, who gave a sheepish wave.

“Is Mr. Stark in trouble?” Peter asked instead.

Vision held back a sigh.

“Yes, in a way. He was taken.” Vision replied, seeing no reason to lie.

Peter let out a small sound of concern before he turned back to the crime scene.

“And this is the only way to find him?” Peter asked.

“Correct.” Vision said.

“Then I guess we wait for them to finish.” Peter stated.

They waited until most of the police had left and then snuck in. The two bloodstains on the floor told them everything they needed to know, but there was absolutely nothing to prove Tony had been there. Until Vision noticed something odd.

“There was another car here.” Vision said, staring at a pool of oil in the back corner of the warehouse.

“FRIDAY?” Peter asked.

“Already on it. I will have the scan shortly.” FRIDAY replied.

Peter and Vision could only wait while that happened. Peter found himself on edge, wondering who could have the cunning to outwit Tony Stark.

“Do you think he’s ok?” Peter asked.

“I am sure Mr. Stark is fine.” Vision said and it was about as convincing as you would expect from a robot.

Peter shot him a look that, even behind the mask, Vision could tell he didn’t believe a single word.

“Why would they take him? His money? Weapons?” Peter asked.

“There are any number of reasons for someone to take Mr. Stark. But a ransom demand usually comes relatively quickly after someone is taken.” Vision explained.

“Oh…” Peter said.

Vision looked away and looked at the ceiling.

“Even if they did ask for a ransom, unfortunately, they would get nothing.” FRIDAY piped in.

“Huh? Why?” Peter asked.

“Stark Industries has an anti-ransom policy in place. Even if Mr. Stark asked for it to be paid, Stark Industries wouldn’t pay it.” FRIDAY explained.

“What! That’s crazy! Why?” Peter asked, concerned.

“Mr. Stark was kidnapped numerous times as a child by various seedy organizations. In order to protect his company, Howard Stark put the policy in place and it hasn’t been removed since.” FRIDAY stated.

“His own father did that?” Peter muttered.

“Among other things.” FRIDAY said.

“Is the scan finished?” Vision cut in.

“Yes and I think I can match it to a very specific model car. Please return to Avengers Tower.” FRIDAY stated.

The two looked at each other before turning to go. As Peter swung from the rooftops, he vaguely made note of two very identical looking men walking down the street and Peter felt a shiver go through him. He paused for a moment, biting his lip when he noticed one had a bit of duck tape stuck to his back. He looked up to see Vision floating farther and farther away before shaking his head and following after Vision. He didn’t have time for petty crooks right now! Mr. Stark was in danger.

Green watched as his fellow clones came back with various stacks of food, clothing and bits of technology his king had requested. Green was pleased by how quickly and efficiently they had managed to gather everything and in such a short amount of time. He turned and returned to the room where his king was. He knelt before him.

“We have gathered all you have asked for, my king.” Green said.

Tony nodded to him and Green found himself pleased.

“Good, bring it here. We have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it.” Tony stated.

“My king?” Green said, confused.

Tony looked around and scuffed.

“Everything here is too outdated for me. I will rebuild everything from the ground up. That’s the only way I am going to get any work done.” Tony declared.

Green stared at him in awe. Tony’s brilliance seemed to radiant from his very being and Green knew he had picked the right host for his king.

“So we are looking for a dark colored car with some sort of engine malfunction.” FRIDAY explained when they got back to the Tower. 

Rhodey was not at all happy when he saw Peter with Vision, but he guessed having another pair of hands was worth letting the kid in on the mission.

“Ok, anything else FRIDAY?” Rhodey asked as a hologram appeared before them.

“Based on my calculations, it’s a late 2006 model Toyota that’s been upgraded. It recently had some work done to the tires based on the scan.” FRIDAY replied.

“Ok, you already have a search going?” Rhodye asked.

“Yes, it will be completed shortly.” FRIDAY replied.

“Um, excuse me?” Peter asked, rubbing his hands nervously.

“Yeah, kid?” Rhodey said.

“Shouldn’t we… you know, tell someone? Like the UN?” Peter asked.

Rhodey frowned. Admittedly, they should, but if the story got leaked that Tony was missing, that could cause all sorts of problems. Tony had been hard at work getting the rogue Avengers cleared of all wrongdoing, much to Ross’ dismay and anger. If he smelt blood in the water, he might try to push certain amendments while Tony wasn’t around. Rhodey suddenly had a sinking feeling, what if Ross was behind this? The man was petty enough and had enough power to do something like this. But was he stupid enough? Maybe. Rhodey let out a breath.

“For now, we keep it quiet.” Rhodey stated.

“Keep what quiet?” a new voice asked.

Rhodey cursed and turned to find Natasha exiting the elevators like she owned the place. Rhodey’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t seen the female spy since the battle and needless to say, but he wasn’t interested in talking to her. Natasha stopped a few feet away, sensing Rhodey’s tension. She eyed all three of them in turn.

“Mr. Stark…” Peter was quickly cut off.

“None of your business, Romanov.” Rhodey replied coldly.

Natasha just blinked, her face emotionless.

“Is Stark missing?” she asked pointedly.

“And like I said, that’s none of your business.” Rhodey declared.

Natasha crossed her arms.

“It actually is since I have been going back and forth between the two sides. If something has happened, I need to let them know.” Natasha stated.

Rhodey grit his teeth. Tony had told him about Natasha’s offer to be the go between and while Tony was keeping her at arm’s length, he knew Tony also deeply missed the Avengers, missed the family he had made with the ragtag group of heroes. But Tony was too mentally and emotionally traumatized to deal with Rogers or any of the others one on one, so Natasha was doing it for him. Personally, Rhodey thought Natasha was just trying to have the upperhand again and told Tony so, worried about his friend's health. He remembered what Tony said back to him that day.

_ “She’s the only thing I have left. The others want nothing to do with me, Bruce is gone, Thor is who knows where and to be honest, I can’t defend Earth by myself, Honey Bear. I guess what I am saying is the devil you know is better than the one you don’t.”  _

Rhodey suddenly wished he had been a little more forceful with his attempts to cut Tony’s ties with the Avengers. That group only seemed to cause his best friend pain.

“Colonel, if I may?” Vision asked.

Rhodey turned to him and had to hold back a growl. He had no doubt he knew what Vision was about to say.

“You may not. Romanov, like I said, there is the door. Don’t let it hit you on the way out.” Rhodey stated.

Natasha stared at him and they locked eyes, a battle of wills before someone spoke.

“Colonel, I’m sorry, but I don’t think now is the time for a pissing contest! Mr. Stark is missing and he could be hurt!” Peter said desperately.

Natasha turned to him and frowned.

“How long?” she asked.

Rhodey grit his teeth.

“As of right now? Going on fifteen hours.” Rhodey replied.

Natasha’s frown got deeper.

“And he hasn’t sent any kind of communication?” Natasha asked.

“Nothing.” Vision said.

Natasha looked away, staring at the wall, mind racing.

“Colonel, I’m sorry for cutting in, but I just received a very important incoming call from Stark Industries.” FRIDAY stated.

Rhodey frowned.

“Put them through.” he demanded

Pepper’s voice immediately came from the speakers.

“Tony, I need you at Stark Industries ASAP.” Pepper said frantically.

“Pepper, PEPPER!” Rhodey cut in as she tried to talk over him.

There was a pause.

“Rhodey? Where’s Tony? Did I call the wrong number?” Pepper muttered.

“I’m at the Tower, Pep.” Rhodey explained.

“Ok, well can you put Tony on the phone because this is an emergency. I don’t care what he is doing. I need him right now.” Pepper said.

Rhodey winced.

“I would if I could, Pep, but Tony’s… not here… right now.” Rhodey said slowly.

There was a long pause.

“Rhodey? Where is Tony?” she demanded, deadly calm.

Ohhh, he had heard that tone before.

“To be honest with you, I don’t know.” Rhodey replied.

Another very long pause and then there was a hitched breath.

“Rhodey, Rhodey, please tell me Tony isn’t missing.” Pepper said, her voice cracking.

It was hard to hear such a usually strong woman sound so scared.

“I’m sorry, Pep, but yeah, he’s missing.” Rhodey replied.

Pepper let out a slow breath.

“Tony is missing and so is about two million dollars worth of Stark Industry parts.” Pepper said softly.

Rhodey choked as Peter gasped.

“Two million?! The hell did they steal!” Rhodey demanded.

“Everything, but the kitchen sink. I mean, I am talking about Starkpads, computers, circuit boards, everything that wasn’t bolted to the wall.” Pepper admitted.

“That is quite extensive.” Vision stated.

There was a pause.

“Rhodey, who is with you right now?” Pepper demanded.

Rhodey sighed.

“Peter, Vision and… Romanov.” Rhodey stated.

“I see. Can I continue this conversation with you in private, Rhodey?” Pepper asked briskly.

“Of course. I’ll give you a call in ten, ok?” Rhodey replied.

With that, Pepper hung up and Rhodey turned back to Natasha.

“I can help find him, you know I can.” Natasha stated.

“What you can find is the door.” Rhodey repeated, arms crossed.

Peter looked between the two, but said nothing. Realizing she wasn’t going to get any help, Natasha nodded and turned on her heel. The elevator opened for her, but she paused. She turned to look at them again.

“Save it. You’ve done enough.” Rhodey cut her off and she nodded.

She disappeared into the elevator, but Rhodey knew this wouldn’t be the last time he saw Natasha.

Tony idly wiped the sweat from his brow and looked over this new lab with a smirk. Two clones were moving around some parts and Tony patted the baby he had on his shoulder as he watched everything come to life. Sure, it wasn’t as up to date as his lab back at the Tower, but he’d get there some day. For now, this was enough. Sure, he felt bad about stealing from Pepper, but this was his technology anyway. So technically he was just reclaiming it. He would explain it to her one day.

“No no! Not there!” Tony growled and the two clones jumped to move the parts again to the right area.

Pleased, Tony nodded as he turned back to his work. The little one, whom he had taken to calling Peter, chirped at him, head tilted to the side.

“Daddy is making a new lab.” Tony replied to the mental question.

Another chirp.

“Well, it depends.” he said slowly.

Another slightly confused chirp.

“I don’t really have any reason to go home.” Tony muttered.

A sad chirp as Peter nuzzled against his cheek.

“There’s no one there really waiting for me.” Tony said softly.

A flash of Peter, Rhodey, Pepper and Happy went through his mind, but he just as easily pushed them away. They didn’t need him. Didn’t need his screwed up mental state and physical problems. Pepper was a great CEO and Stark Industries would continue to flourish under her care, with or without him. He was sure she would take care of Peter and Rhodey as well. His mind flashed to Rhodey in a wheelchair and he frowned. Tony still had to finish those braces for him. That’s what he had been working on when he left the Tower.

He bit his lip, wondering if he could complete them with the items he had here before rejecting that thought outright. He would never give Rhodey such a half-ass enhancement. Rhodey deserved nothing, but the best after all he had been through with Tony.

“Maybe I can sneak in there one day.” Tony mumbled as he connected two wires and the whole lab lit up.

He grinned as Peter chirped with delight. Oh yes, Tony Stark was back in business.

“So, he’s gone?” Steve asked, staring at the hologram of Natasha.

“About fifteen hours, according to Rhodey.” Natasha stated.

“That’s a long time.” Sam muttered, playing with Red Wing.

“Especially for Stark.” Wanda said.

Clint rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, well, good riddance, I say. One less megalomaniac in the world.” Clint scuffed.

Steve sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was a fight he didn’t want to have with Clint again. Clint’s anger towards Tony hadn’t cooled even a little bit since Steve had taken him from the Raft. Even after Natasha proved that it had been Tony to relocate Clint’s family to a much safer location, helped Scott get put on house arrest so he could be with his daughter in the States, and that there was a good amount of proof to show that Tony had helped Steve get everyone off the Raft, Clint was still holding a grudge.

“And Pepper called. Two million dollars worth of Stark Industry was stolen last night as well.” Natasha stated.

The Avengers, plus T’Challa, all winced.

“That’s… a lot of technology.” Sam said softly.

“Stark’s gone and missing tech? Sounds like someone wants a weapon to me.” Clint stated.

“Which means its a good idea to look for him.” Steve said.

“Or it’s a good idea to let him rot.” Clint scowled.

“Clint.” Steve stressed.

The doors opened and Bucky came in, but sensing the tension, he paused, frowning.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he sat down beside Steve.

Steve flashed Bucky a smile, pleased to see Bucky looking at least somehow healthy. Bucky nodded back.

“Stark’s missing and so is some of his tech.” Wanda said.

Bucky frowned, brow furled.

“So when are we going to look for him?” Bucky asked.

Everyone looked at him and he blinked.

“We are going to look for him… right?” Bukcy asked, confused.

“It’s… complicated.” Steve sighed.

“No, it’s not. Why are we going to save a man who turned his back on us!” Clint demanded, slamming his fist down on the table.

“Clint, stop.” Natasha demanded and he calmed down, pouting.

“Isn’t Stark the one who hacked the raft’s system and shut everything down so we could get everyone out easier?” Bukcy asked.

“He did.” Steve nodded.

“And isn’t Stark the one who’s been pushing to have our charges dropped? Despite the fact that we kind of earned them?” Bucky pushed.

“He is.” Sam agreed.

“And he even relocated Clint and Sam’s families to a safer location, even after everything went down?” Bucky asked.

“What is your point?” Clint demanded.

Bucky blew out a harsh breath and met Clint’s glare head on.

“What I am saying is Stark has been trying to help us for months. Isn’t it time to return the favor?” Bucky demanded.

Clint scowled, but T’Challa coughed and they turned to him.

“I do apologize, my friends, but I think we have a much larger problem here that we must address before we even consider helping Mr. Stark and that is this: if you all step foot on American soil before this next Amendment goes through, you will be arrested and I will most certainly end up with problems with the UN for housing war criminals.” the king stated calmly.

Bucky frowned and sat back in his chair.

“He is right. The Amendment is in its final stages, give it another week or two.” Natasha said from the hologram.

“But if the same people who took To-Stark also took his technology, then the world could be in danger.” Steve said, cutting himself off from saying Tony’s name.

Just saying that name hurt. He still remembered the terrified look Tony had on his face when they fought in Siberia. Yes, Tony had been angry, he had every right to be angry at Steve for lying to him, but Steve realized now he could have done everything differently. He could have sent Bucky away and let Tony take out his frustrations on Steve. Hell, he could have made Tony sit down and listen to him, but those events were in the past now and they had to focus on the present.

“Because Heaven knows Stark can’t just do the right thing and not make weapons.” Clint sneered.

“Clint.” Natasha said coldly and he snapped his mouth shut.

Steve wanted to strangle him, but he held back. He would find the man later and then they could talk, but for now, Steve returned to the problem at hand.

“Natasha, can you check some of your contacts and see if anyone knows anything? Just keep on top of it.” Steve asked.

She nodded and Steve turned to the others.

“For now, we monitor the situation. T’Challa is right, we cannot step foot onto American soil unless we want to be arrested. So, for now, we will stand down.” Steve said, giving a nod of respect to T’Challa, who nodded back.

Clint was the first to get up and storm off. Steve mentally sighed, but left it alone. Wanda followed after him and Sam just rolled his eyes before following her. The king soon left and Natasha cut the hologram, leaving the two super soldiers behind. Steve started a bit when a hand slid into his own before he smiled at Bucky.

“You ok, punk?” Bucky asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Steve said after a moment, giving his hand a little squeeze.

“You don’t look fine.” Bucky said and Steve rubbed his eyes.

“I hate to be this way, but Clint is right. If someone did take To-Stark and his technology, I can only imagine what they are going to make him build.” Steve admitted.

“And you think they can make Stark do anything? Weren’t you the one who said that he was as stubborn as a mule and twice as annoying?” Bucky said.

“Even still…” Steve trailed off.

No, he didn’t want to think about what was happening to his teammate (former) right now. If he was being tortured, starved, beaten, knowing no one was going to come rescue him, that his team wasn’t going to be able to help him. That he didn’t have a team to rely on anymore. Steve clenched his fist around the arm rest and almost destroyed it.

“Easy, punk. I am sure Stark is fine.” Bucky said, but he didn’t sound confident.

After all, out of all of them, Tony was the one with the most enemies and a brain that didn’t quit. If someone got their hands on that kind of brilliance…

Steve stood up and rubbed his eyes again.

“I need a good spar.” Steve turned to Bucky and gave a smile.

“Care to join me?” Steve held out a hand.

Bucky grabbed it and Steve pulled him up.

“That excited to get your butt kicked?” Bucky asked.

Steve rolled his eyes.

“You wish.” Steve replied.

Tony hummed as the computers came to life all around him. It had taken him a while to get it all set up, but he was up and running. Tony smirked and cracked his knuckles.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” Tony said.

Natasha stepped out of the bar and flicked a piece of hair over her shoulder. She slid onto her stolen ride and rode off before the bar burst into flames, destroying all evidence that she had been there. She eyed the scrap of paper she had been given and her eyes narrowed. It wasn’t much, just some basic information about the grunts that had been killed in the same warehouse Tony had been taken to, but she hoped it would lead to something more. Despite what many people thought, including Tony himself, Natasha had liked Tony. Still did. But her loyalty had always been to Clint and Steve. While she had sided with Tony during the so-called Civil War, she couldn’t bring herself to turn against Steve and had let him go, hoping maybe the two men would get their heads out of their collective asses and fix this mess.

Unfortunately for her, that had been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Something, something bad had happened in Siberia, between Tony and Steve. Bad enough that Steve had appeared with Bucky, beaten and shieldless, refusing to say what had happened when Natasha asked. Later, when she had approached Tony to make sure he had the cellphone on hand, Tony had been… different. Tony had been civil to her from then on, but she had lost his trust and she doubted there was ever going to be a chance to get it back again. It pained her to admit it, but… their team would never be the same. 

She closed her eyes for a second, letting herself fade away, becoming one with the machine between her legs before she pulled herself back to the present. She had a genius to find. She roared her way through the streets, coming to a stop at another seedy bar. She walked towards the door and saw a tall, strawberry blonde haired man walking out. He held the door open for her and she nodded to him. As she passed him by, however, every nerve on her body was suddenly on end. She paused and turned to him, but said nothing and eventually continued on.

Rhodey stared at the screen and let out a sigh. It had been another five hours, making it twenty hours since Tony had been taken and while they had found the car, it was a dead end. He watched as it was fished out of a river, in pieces, on the news and felt panic seep into his bones. That was the last connection they had. They had tracked the car across the city and to the bridge leading to New Jersey, but then it had disappeared. FRIDAY was still scanning security cameras with the hope to find it again, but if she didn’t…

“Rhodey, speak to me, please.” Pepper begged and he let out a breath, trying hard to control himself.

“I-I’m sorry, Pep. That’s the car.” Rhodey whispered into the phone.

Pepper let out a strangled cry and it hurt, it hurt so fucking much that he couldn’t breath. He coughed into his hand and tried to swallow back his own tears.

“What about you, Pep? A-Anything? Ransom demands?” Rhodey begged.

“Nothing. I’ve been checking with Happy and his security team all morning. But nothing.” she replied.

Rhodey sighed.

“Remember when the worst thing we expected to happen was Tony getting drunk and ending up naked in a Central Park Fountain?” Rhodey asked.

Pepper let out a weak chuckle.

“It seemed like I was calling you every weekend back then. I had no idea how to keep him in line. It was enough to make me pull my hair out.” she said, her voice watery.

“God, you came to the wrong guy in that case because I never knew how to get him in line. I just knew how to keep him alive.” Rhodey whispered.

“We did a pretty damn good job. We were a team.” Pepper said.

“We still are. This is just a little more complicated, but I promise you, Pepper, I’ll bring him home.” Rhodey said, determination in his soul.

Pepper was quiet.

“I know you will. You did last time.” she replied.

They said their goodbyes and Rhodey turned his attention back to the cameras, leaving the video footage of the car playing in the background.

“Nothing, Nat?” Steve said in shock.

Even Clint seemed a little amazed. Natasha let out a sigh. 

“The last three places I have checked have led nowhere. I have tried to track down the families, friends, acquaintances, Starbuck baristas, anything about these two men and yet, no one knows anything about who they are, what they were doing or who they were tied up with.” Natasha paused.

“It’s like… they appeared and then disappeared off the face of the planet. Besides the corpses in the morgue, there is nothing to say these men ever existed.” Natasha admitted.

Steve paused, frowning.

“I don’t like how this looks.” Steve said.

“I notice again go back to, why are we bothering?” Clint asked.

“Clint, enough. I will not tell you again.” Steve snapped.

Clint glared at him, but went silent.

“Just keep looking, Nat.” Steve said and Natasha nodded before signing off.

“Captain, I do apologize, but I find myself at a loss.” T’Challa said.

“If Nat can’t find anything, I doubt anyone can.” Clint mumbled.

“Your Highness, is there anyway to force the Amendment to go through faster?” Steve asked.

T’Challa sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“Secretary Ross is using everything in his position to stall as long as possible. Without Mr. Stark there to fight back, I have a feeling he will drag out the process as long as he can.” T’Challa said.

“So we are shit out of luck.” Bucky replied.

“In so many words, yes.” T’Challa agreed.

Steve didn’t like their odds.

Tony closed his eyes, allowing his body and mind to relax. He wasn’t exactly tired. If anything, he felt energized, but there was so much to do and so much to think about that he needed some time to just go over it in his head. Green had told him it would take some time for Tony to get used to the amount of power he had and Tony often found himself losing large chunks of time without realizing it. He wasn’t even sure what day it was if he was going to be honest. Peter was curled up on his lap, snoozing lightly when Green stepped into the room. He was amazed by all his king had done in such a short amount of time. Truly, the room looked nothing like it did before.

“Yes?” Tony asked when Green came to stop beside him.

“One of the clones has reported back. Natasha Romanov has been spotted.” Green stated.

Tony opened his eyes and paused. Natasha. The very name sent a shiver through him.

“She is looking for information on you.” Green continued.

Tony frowned, eyes narrowed.

“I see.” Tony muttered.

“What should we do?” Green asked.

“For now? Nothing. She will find nothing. And I have no interest in seeing her.” Tony replied.

“Very well.” Green stated.

Tony’s mind flashed to Peter, Pepper and Rhodey. Tapping his finger on the table, he reached for his keyboard.

Rhodey stared at the newspaper the next day and sighed, rubbing his eyes. He wasn’t sure how, but the news had been leaked. Tony’s picture was splashed across the front page of every paper and tabloid, all of them declaring him missing (and some claiming he was already dead). The phone had been ringing off the hook with reporters trying to get the scoop and eventually, Rhodey had to mute the phone.

This was almost worse then when Tony went missing last time. Last time, he was just a genius billionaire playboy. Now, people wanted to know how a superhero had been taken and no one had seen anything. How had someone gotten the jump on the very strong and capable Iron Man? Rhodey was wondering that himself, but right now, he didn’t have time to focus on that. He needed to keep his head above water and find his friend.

“I’ll take care of the reporters, you focus on bringing our genius home.” Pepper had said when he called her and he felt better knowing she had something to focus on now.

Turning back to his work, he missed the young man standing in the doorway, feeling useless.

Peter left the Tower, swinging through the city with one destination in mind. When he got there, he waited on the roof. Natasha appeared a few minutes later.

“You know, the Colonel is going to be very upset if he finds out about this.” Natasha said.

“I don’t care. Mr. Stark is missing.” Peter said tiredly.

Natasha looked at him and then shook her head.

“You shouldn’t even be involved in this.” she muttered.

Peter felt a flash of annoyance go through him. As if she had a right to criticize!

“Yeah, well I got dragged into this because you adults were acting like children! So I guess it’s your fault!” Peter snapped.

She didn’t reply and his anger faded away.

“I just… want Mr. Stark back. I miss him.” Peter said, rubbing his eyes.

Natasha sighed and sat down on the edge of the roof.

“Me too.” she replied.

Peter turned to her and frowned.

“Do… you think he’s still alive?” Peter whispered.

She looked at him.

“Tony is much stronger than people think. He’s been through a lot.” Natasha said.

“But everyone has a breaking point, right? What if they found his?” Peter asked urgently.

Natasha didn’t even want to think about it.

“We will find him and we will bring him home.” Natasha declared.

All Peter could do was agree.

For Tony, time was fleeting. He found he had problems grasping on to it. Sometimes, he thought hours had passed when really it was days. For him, two weeks flashed by like minutes, blurred together, especially since he didn’t leave his new lab much. He wasn’t sure if this was because his brain was still merging with the old one, but it was a problem he was going to have to focus on later. For now, he had things to do. As Green brought back the next shipment of stolen tech, Tony eagerly dug his hands into the boxes.

For Rhodey, time seemed to move incredibly fast and incredibly slow at the same time. He lost track of the hours he spent looking for Tony, days passed as he laser focused on his task, trying everything and anything he knew to hunt down his missing friend. He called out to old army buddies, hacked private files and even considered breaking into Tony’s private vault to see if he had anything down there Rhodey could use. Vision and Peter had taken to doing patrols, looking into any criminal with even the slightest grudge, but nothing so far. He hadn’t seen Romanov since the first day and that proved to him that the former Avenger didn’t give a damn about his friend, despite what she said. One day, about two weeks later, FRIDAY spoke.

“Colonel, I do apologize, but King T’Challa is calling.” FRIDAY said.

Despite being an AI, she sounded about as frazzled as Rhodey did. She had been working just hard as Rhodey had. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, but he was, in a sense, the next person in charge when it came to the Accords and the like. It was his job to keep Tony’s hardwork from going down the fucking drain. Not that Ross had made it easy. Thankfully, they realized Tony had put in safe guards to keep Ross from dragging out the process. It had been an absolute blessing that Rhodey was now considering a curse. After all, he could only think of one reason the king would be calling.

“Fine. Patch him through.” Rhodey growled.

He didn’t want to talk to the king. He didn’t care what the man had to say. As far as Rhodey was concerned, he was just as bad as the rest of them, housing the rogue Avengers in his nation, keeping them from justice, but he was also the only one Rhodey could talk to without feeling the need to rip his head off. A hologram appeared and Rhodey eyed the king.

“Can I help you, Your Highness?” Rhodey said coldly.

“Colonel. I am reaching out on behalf of the Avengers. As you know, the most recent Amendment has gone through for the Accords and therefore the Avengers are allowed back on American soil.” the king explained.

Rhodey held up a hand.

“Alright, let me stop you there. Whatever you want; no.” Rhodey replied.

T’Challa stared at him and Rhodey matched his glare.

“I understand you are angry, but in order to keep the peace, someone needs to be there to accept the Avengers home.” T’Challa stated.

“And you honestly think I give, pardon my french, two damns about the Avengers right now? I know Romanov told you about Tony. About how he’s been missing for days now and I have been looking for him nonstop? So you think I am going to drop what I’m doing to help the Avengers? I'm sorry, but no.” Rhodey said hotly.

“Colonel, I am not asking you to drop anything. I know how important Mr. Stark is to you, but this could cause an international incident. You know as well as I that Secretary Ross will attempt some kind of stunt if it is left to him.” T’Challa said.

Rhodey grit his teeth, feeling his jaw ache. But if Tony was here, Tony would have to be the one to do this and Rhodey felt a bit of relief his friend didn’t have to slap a fake fucking smile on his face to accept the Avengers home. He let out a long breath.

“Colonel, if I may, perhaps we can change the subject for now? I have another urgent matter that I needed to speak to you about.” T’Challa stated.

“What could be so urgent you needed to bother me?” Rhodey demanded sharply.

“I am not sure if you are aware, but last week, a shipment from my nation to a sister nation was stolen by an unknown individual. Now, if I understand correctly, various shipments like mine have been stolen over the last two weeks, since Mr. Stark has gone missing.” T’Challa stated.

Rhodey frowned. Besides the Stark Industries theft, there had been at least three others that Rhodey had heard about in passing while looking for Tony, but no official emergency had been declared about it yet. All of it was technology based shipments too.

“And?” Rhodey demanded.

“I believe they are all connected.” T’Challa said.

An image appeared and Rhodey frowned when he saw a picture of two identical men carrying a box off a harbor, they looked strangely familiar.

“These are the thieves. I have been trying to track them down and I believe they may be American, but while looking for more information, I started to look at the other reports and their description matches to a T.” T’Challa stated.

Rhodey paused and then started tearing through his paperwork. He pulled out the file from Pepper about the thief and pulled a picture out.

“Holy shit.” Rhodey muttered.

“Colonel?” T’Challa called.

“The thieves, they’re the same ones from the Stark Industries theft.” Rhodey whispered.

Could this be it? Could this be the link he had been looking for? He felt a surge of hope go through him.

“Send me everything you have on this.” Rhodey demanded.

“I’m sorry, Colonel, but if you want this information, I will need you to agree to my condition first.” T’Challa said.

Rhodey felt a wave of red hot anger surge through him. Was this man really…?

“So what Tony did for you means fucking nothing? Nothing compared to the fucking Avenger, who, if I remember correctly, were just as willing to beat you into unconsciousness if that meant keeping Barnes alive. Compared to the man who offered you his home after your father died? Who offered a sympathetic ear and a warm bed?” Rhodey hissed.

T’Challa closed his eyes, as if he was deeply pained by the accusation, and let out a deep breath.

“Mr. Stark’s kindness is something I can never truly repay, but Mr. Stark also had his own reasons for helping me, Colonel and I know that well.” T’Challa stated.

Rhodey wanted to scream. Wanted to yell and rage about how unfair the world was. Tony gave and gave and gave and still people wouldn’t return the favor. But this was the only lead he had.

“So, that’s all this was. Fine. I will be there to welcome your fucking Avengers home, but I expect those files in my hand the second I do. FRIDAY, end call.” Rhodey declared.

FRIDAY disconnected the call before the king could reply and Rhodey rolled over to a couch, grabbed a pillow and screamed into it until he was hoarse. When he was done, he pulled the pillow away and wiped the tears from his eyes. A hand was placed on his shoulder and he looked up to see Vision standing there.

“We will get him back.” Vision said gently.

“I know.” Rhodey replied, voice raw.

T’Challa sat back in his seat before sighing and turning to the other man in the room. Steve looked ill, pale, but it had to be done.

“He hates us.” Steve muttered.

“Does that truly shock you, Captain?” the king asked.

Steve shook his head.

“I was never truly close with Rhodes, but I thought…” Steve trailed off.

“You betrayed his trust and Mr. Stark, Captain. We all did.” T’Challa stated.

Steve shifted slightly.

“Do you think he’s ok? Stark, I mean. It’s been two weeks.” Steve asked.

T’Challa reached up to rub his eyes.

“I do not know. But hopefully this will help find him. I will have the file together by tomorrow.” T’Challa stated.

Steve knew a dismissal when he heard one and nodded before leaving. In the hall, he found Wanda, much to his shock.

“You ok?” She asked as she stood up and dusted herself off.

“Yes, how are you?” Steve asked.

She shrugged. Steve knew they said time heals all wounds, but Wanda’s pain seemed just as raw today as it had the day she lost her brother. Clint was especially protective of the young woman and maybe that was because he saw his own children in her. Steve tried not to think about it too much.

“Care for some lunch?” Steve asked and she nodded, following him down the hall.

Rhodey waited for the plane to land, his sunglasses keeping anyone from seeing the absolute rage in his eyes. As the plane landed, Rhodey suddenly had the cruel hope that the whole thing would fucking crash and burn, right there on the runway, for the world to see. That the Avengers would go down in flames before everyone’s eyes. That didn’t happen, but it was enough for him to feel just a bit better.

The door opened and Rhodey wanted to throw something as Steve fucking Rogers stepped out first, raising a hand to wave to the cheering crowd, as if he was some fucking celebrity and not a wanted criminal. Following him was Barnes, Barton, Romanov and Maximoff with King T’Challa and his sister, Shuri, bringing up the rear. Rhodey got up from his chair, using the absolutely awful braces the government had given him to meet them halfway. Cameras flashed as he pulled his glasses off and met Steve for a handshake, all the while smiling.

They turned to wave at the crowd, hands still clasped. Over the roar of the crowd, Rhodey spoke, knowing Steve would be the only one to hear him.

“After this, if I ever, ever see you near Tony again, I don’t care how good that serum is, I will find a way to end you. If that doesn’t work, I will personally throw your ass back in the ice for another 70 years and Barnes will go in with you.” Rhodey said coldly.

Steve stiffened next to him, trying to keep a smile while he swallowed hard.

“I never meant to hurt him.” Steve replied.

“Bullshit. That’s all you ever did.” Rhodey pulled back and nodded to the other Avengers before turning to shake the hand of T’Challa.

He forcefully pulled the king into a hug, much to the worry and fear of the other people there. Shuri had her hand on Okoye to keep her from going for her weapon.

“Where is my file.” Rhodey hissed into his ear.

He felt something being slipped into his pocket and he pulled back. He allowed the other members of the staff to move in while he slipped away, heading back to the Tower. He had done his part, he had shook hands with the devil. Now it was time to find his friend.

Natasha watched Rhodey disappear into the crowd and thought, at one point, he would have made an amazing spy before her attention was pulled away. The Avengers were piled into an armored car and taken away from the airport. All the while, Steve rubbed his hand.

“Are you alright, Captain?” T’Challa asked.

“I’m fine. Are we heading towards the compound?” Steve asked.

T’Challa just nodded and they lapsed into silence. The ride was long and Steve felt jumpy and jittery. Bucky placed a hand on his knee to make it stop shaking and Clint pretended to gag when Steve flashed him a smile.

“We’ll be alright, punk.” Bucky said softly, giving it a little squeeze.

Steve hoped so.

Tony stared at the screen and his rage was almost enough to consume him. The sight of the Avengers, the fucking Avengers, stepping off an American plane to a crowd of adoring fans sent a wave of white hot anger through him. Oh, how he hated Steve Rogers at that moment.

“My king?” Green asked.

“I’m fine. Just a little… upset.” Tony said coldly.

His spine straightened when he saw… No, it couldn’t be… right? Tony stared as Rhodey crossed the screen and shook Roger’s hand. Rhodey, his friend, his brother in all but blood, standing there (standing, he thought with sorrow) smiling at the cameras in his uniform on with Captain Fucking American by his side, looking like the best of friends.

“It can’t be.” Tony whispered.

He then watched as Rhodey walked over to T’Challa and hugged him, patting his back like they were old friends and something within Tony snapped. He grit his teeth so hard, he almost thought he cracked his tooth.

“My… king?” Green whispered.

The last two weeks, he had felt nothing from this man other than foggy bliss. He had lived his days designing, recreating and building to his heart’s content. Now, like a beast who had awoken from slumber, all he felt was the rage and hatred burning from inside his king. His king had shared his stories of the Avengers, but mostly of the one called Rhodey and yet, now those feelings had been washed away. There was nothing, but the raw red wound of betrayal.

“I see. That’s it then.” Tony muttered.

He got up and Peter was sent tumbling to the ground. The small creature chirped in distress, but his caregiver couldn’t hear him. Not with how far he was buried in his own head. From the ceiling, Peter’s siblings started to appear. One of the larger spiderlings, up to about Tony’s waist, walked over and Tony rubbed the top of its head.

“All these years, all of them and they mean nothing. Nothing as long as Captain fucking America is around.” Tony hissed.

“What should we do, my king?” Green asked, bowing.

Tony stopped, staring off into space, blue eyes glowing with intelligence and power. Green held his breath before Tony lowered his head and shook it.

“Nothing. We will do nothing. Go get the last shipment.” Tony said as he turned away.

Green felt a wave of something go through him, something he couldn’t quite place. He pushed it away.

“Very well.” with that, Green left.

“Home, sweet home.” Clint said annoyed as they entered the Compound.

“It’s only for a few days.” Natasha said, arms crossed.

Clint scuffed, but didn’t say anything. After all, they were on house arrest for the most part and everyone knew it. They could be kept here for months, even years, and really had no right to argue.

“Hopefully they kept our rooms clean.” Sam muttered.

As they walked through the halls, Vision suddenly appeared before them. Wanda let out a cry and raced towards him. He swept her up and they hugged deeply. Steve smiled, happy at least one of them found love while Clint faked gagged in the background.

“Get a room.” Clint muttered.

“Ignore him. I haven’t seen you in so long.” Wanda said, pulling back.

Vision smiled and cupped her cheek.

“I’m sorry for that. I was helping the Colonel.” Vision stated.

Steve frowned and took a step forward.

“Has he… found anything?” Steve asked.

Vision looked at him and he honestly felt like Vision was staring him down. He had never felt like his very soul was being analyzed. He wondered if Vision liked what he saw.

“The Colonel was given some information by King T’Challa. He is going over it now.” Vision said, giving a nod to the king in respect.

“I still don’t see why anyone is bothering.” Clint replied.

“Barton.” Steve warned.

“It is fine. I understand Clint’s displeasure with Mr. Stark.” Vision said floating over. 

He held out his hand to the Avenger and Clint frowned, looking at him confused.

“What?” Clint asked.

“Your bow and arrows, of course. The ones Mr. Stark made. If you are so angry at him, then I do not see a reason for you to keep them. In fact…” Vision turned to the other Avengers.

“You should all hand over the weapons Mr. Stark has been supplying you. The Widow Bites, the Falcon Wings, even Bucky’s new arm. All of them came from Mr. Stark, so I am sure you have no problem with returning them?” Vision stated.

The Avengers were dumbfounded. Clint actually looked at his bow and arrows with a look of betrayal before looking at T’Challa and Shuri.

“You said they came from you!” Clint snapped.

T’Challa raised an eyebrow.

“I gave them over to you, yes, but I never said they were Wakandian in design. Mr. Stark would send shipments of items he believed would continue to assist you and I merely handed them out.” T’Challa said simply.

“He… kept making us weapons?” Natasha actually seemed a bit amazed.

“Along with armor and constant upgrades to your communication gear, yes.” Vision replied.

Steve felt bile rise in his throat. He looked at Bucky’s arm and winced, wondering how Tony could have even brought himself to design an arm for the man who murdered his parents. Shuri coughed and stepped forward.

“I did have a hand in some of the designs, but for the most part, they were already completed when they arrived. He asked us not to tell you where they came from.” Shuri said seriously.

“Because he knew we wouldn’t use them.” Sam said softly.

“Correct. I could have redesigned everything from scratch, but that would have taken time and resources that we were not sure we had.” Shuri admitted.

Clint stared at his bow and grit his teeth. A part of him wanted to chunk it at Vision’s head, but… another part of him didn’t want to end up using an older model. It was designed perfectly for him and he hated that he hadn’t even realized that it could only have been Stark’s design and no one else’s. They had spent days together, designing the perfect bow for Clint when they moved into the Tower. Tony had wanted to be sure it was perfect in every sense, weight, height, strength, anything that would give Clint an advantage. Tony had been so proud the day they finished, seeing how beautiful their design had come out. A sudden alarm going off made them all jump.

“I apologize for breaking up this very important talk, but I am getting reports of intruders in the Compound’s storage shed. I need all personnel to the shed immediately to stop them.” FRIDAY cut in.

Steve looked at the other Avengers and then nodded.

“You heard FRIDAY, Avengers Assemble!” Steve yelled.

The Avengers, plus the king, took off immediately. Steve and Bucky were in the front, Natasha and Wanda on their heels with Vision above and Clint heading for the nearest rooftop with Sam by his side. They pulled their coms out and put them on, ready for any kind of attack they could be walking into. T’Challa raced around back to ambush any who attempted to escape. They made it to the shed and found the doors wide open, two men standing inside with a box of materials in hand. They both looked up when the Avengers appeared.

“I don’t know who you are, but drop the supplies.” Steve demanded.

The two men placed the box down as two more men stepped out of the shadows. All four were identical and it was a little unnerving. In fact, Steve was sure he had seen them somewhere before.

“Captain, I must warn you, these people did not break in. They had the code to open the shed.” FRIDAY explained.

“No one should have that code. Only Stark has it.” Natasha stated.

“Which means it was given to them.” Sam said calmly.

“I see.” Steve muttered.

He took a step forward. The four had still not said anything or even move.

“I need you four to give up quietly.” Steve stated.

The four just stared at him. They didn’t even blink, which made Steve nervous.

“Captain, I am getting an urgent message from Colonel Rhodes. He is asking you not to harm any of them, to take them into custody and that he is on his way.” FRIDAY stated.

“Why?” Steve asked, confused.

“They are the only lead in finding Mr. Stark.” FRIDAY explained.

“What?” Clint hissed over the com.

“They match the photos taken by King T’Challa and the ones from Stark Industries after the theft.” FRIDAY replied.

“I see.” Steve muttered.

“So, how do you want to play this?” Bucky asked.

“They either come quietly or we force them to.” Steve explained.

Steve took another step forward and the four men attacked. Steve raised his arms to block a punch, only to be startled by how strong it was. He found himself pushed back without realizing it.

“It’s like being hit by the Hulk! Be careful!” Steve yelled.

Natasha was fighting with one, Wanda and Vision fighting another and finally Bucky with the third. Steve had one all to himself. These four were not holding back either. Their attacks were well coordinated and almost effortless. Clint attempted to hit one from afar, but the man caught it and tossed it to Natasha, who cursed and jumped out of the way, lest she be hit by the electrical current going through the arrow. Sam swooped down and kicked one in the head, causing all four to stop momentarily.

“I think they are a hivemind!” Wanda yelled.

“Ok, take one down and we take them all down!” Steve yelled.

He tackled on to the ground and struggled to keep him under control. Bucky ran over and helped hold him while Vision and Wanda bound him. The other three attempted to free him, but they were subdued as well. T’Challa appeared and looked over the men.

“These are the ones who stole my shipment.” he confirmed.

“But why?” Bucky asked.

Clint appeared and eyed the men, poking one.

“They are so creepy looking. Like dolls or something.” Clint muttered. 

Natasha rolled her eyes before something caught her eye and paused, grabbing what looked to be a piece of duct tape off the back of one.

“I think I have something here.” she called.

Steve walked over and took it.

“Duck tape?” he questioned.

“There might be hair or skin cells on it.” Natasha said.

“Could give us an idea of where they came from.” Sam stated.

“Let’s take them back to the Compound. FRIDAY, Rhodes said he was on the way?” Steve asked.

“Yes, he should be here in about a half hour. During that time, I can scan the tape.” FRIDAY stated.

Steve nodded and threw two of the men over his shoulders. Bucky took one and T’Challa grabbed the last one. Natasha eyed the shed and then walked over to the box the men had grabbed. She frowned.

“Why would they need any of this?” she muttered, uncertainly.

“Nat, are you coming!” Clint yelled.

She nodded and followed after them, watching as the doors shut behind them.

“My king, we have a problem.” Green said.

Tony scowled and rubbed his forehead.

“Yeah, no shit.” Tony muttered.

“What should we do?” Green asked.

Tony’s eyes narrowed.

“We wait. Eventually, their guards will go down. Forget the box, it’s pointless anyway.” Tony replied.

“Very well.”

Rhodey landed on the Compound lawn and walked off before Peter had even taken a breath.

“Ah, Colonel, wait up!” Peter said, struggling to get out of his harness.

“No time, Pete.” Rhodey replied, already halfway to the door.

Peter huffed, adjusted his mask and went inside with the Colonel.

“Where are they?” Rhodey demanded as he walked inside. 

The Avengers looked up, the four men on the ground.

“Perfect timing, Colonel. I just finished the scan.” FRIDAY piped in before anyone else could speak.

“Scan?” Peter asked.

“Yes, the four men before you are identical in every way. Exactly.” FRIDAY stated.

“So they are clones.” Clint muttered, holding out his hand to Sam, who grumbled and put a five in it.

“What did you bet on?” Natasha asked.

“Quadruplets.” Sam sulked.

Rhodey scowled, but said nothing. He stepped up before the four men, who all looked up at him at the same time.

“Whoa, creepy.” Clint stated.

“What is?” Peter asked.

“That’s the first time they’ve moved since we brought them in.” Natasha replied.

Rhodey looked over the four men.

“Where is Tony?” he demanded.

No one answered and Rhodey grit his teeth as he took another step closer.

“Where. Is. Tony. Stark?” he hissed.

“Colonel, please mind your blood pressure.” FRIDAY stated.

“Screw blood pressure! Where is Tony!” he roared.

Peter walked over and put a hand on his arm.

“It’s ok, Colonel! Now that we have them, we’ll find him!” Peter said before turning to the men. 

Peter stopped, his brain screeching to a halt.

“Wait… I know them. Him. It?” Peter muttered.

Rhodey paused and looked at him.

“What do you mean?” Rhodey asked.

“I saw them! The night Vision and I went to the warehouse! They were walking down the street! Ugh, I knew I should have stopped them!” Peter yelled, tugging on his mask.

Rhodey held back a flash of anger. Peter had seen these men and had said nothing? Before he could lash out, he let out a sharp breath. No use taking his frustrations out on the youngest member of their team. Natasha sat up and frowned.

“I recognized them too. At a bar I was getting information from.” Natasha stated.

“Maybe this is why you couldn't find anything?” Steve asked.

“I’m sorry to cut in, but my scan of the duck tape has finished as well. I can confirm, the skin cells and hair belong to Boss.” FRIDAY said.

Rhodey’s knees almost collapsed and Peter was quick to wrap an arm around his waist.

“FRIDAY, can you see if…?” Rhodey trailed off.

“Unfortunately, the tape is old. I cannot confirm that Boss is still alive.” FRIDAY explained.

Rhodey closed his eyes, feeling his throat close. God, what if they were too late already? What if they were just one step behind?

“Mr. Stark is alive.” someone said.

Everyone turned to the clones. The one with grey eyes spoke again.

“Mr. Stark is still alive.” he repeated.

“Oh, so now they talk.” Clint threw his hands up in the air.

Rhodey blocked him out and knelt down.

“Where is he? Take me to him.” Rhodey demanded.

About an hour later, they were standing in front of an old mansion. The lawn was neatly trimmed and the house had recently been cleaned. Rhodey had to wonder how such a quaint little place could hold all the answers to his questions. By his side, Peter, Steve, Bucky, Natasha and T’Challa with the four clones. Clint had scaled a tree while Sam waited outside the gates with a van to escape in if it came down to that. T’Challa had agreed to go around back and keep watch.

“Let’s go then.” Steve said.

They moved towards the front door, only to be startled when another clone, this one nicely dressed, stepped out to greet them.

“Avengers, Colonel Rhodes, Spiderman, welcome.” the clone bowed.

Rhodey held up his hand, repulser already charged and ready to go.

“Where is he?” Rhodey demanded.

The clone straightened up and adjusted his tie.

“I do apologize, Colonel. Please come right this way. He’s been waiting for you.” the clone stated, stepping to the side and waving him in.

“You first.” Steve cut in.

The clone eyed him and his eyes narrowed.

“I do apologize, captain, but I wasn’t speaking to you. You and your team can wait outside. He wants nothing to do with any of you.” the clone stated.

“Tough luck. He isn’t going in alone.” Bucky replied.

Rhodey huffed.

“They are with me. They go in if I go in.” Rhodey replied.

The clone paused, head tilted to the side as if listening for something before nodding.

“Very well then. Allow me to introduce myself as well. I am Green. My brothers that you have there are Grey, Gold, Violet and Red, in that order.” Green stated.

“Fun names.” Peter piped up.

Green gave a smile that had way too many teeth.

“My king is very clever, but not good with names.” Green explained.

Rhodey frowned and waved his hand.

“Get going.” Rhodey demanded.

Green nodded and turned to walk inside. The team followed him and found the front of the house rather nice looking. Steve eyed the architure with appreciation. Natasha and Bukcy eyed it for possible escape routes. Rhodey and Peter kept their eyes on the clone before them. As they went in deeper, it started to get colder and Peter shivered despite himself.

“Ah, I will be sure to get the young man a blanket. Unfortunately, we need to keep it cold for… reasons.” Green said.

They came to a pair of doors that opened without a touch and they gasped as they walked inside. It was amazing to look around and see where all the stolen tech had gone. The lab they walked into was absolutely beautiful.

“My god.” Steve muttered.

“Not quite, but close enough.” a voice said.

Their heads snapped around and found Tony lounging on a throne to the side. The eeriness of his blue eyes made their hair stand on end.

“Mr. Stark!” Peter yelled with joy, but he was held back by Rhodey, who stared Tony down.

“Tones?” he called.

“Yes, Honey Bear?” Tony replied, smiling.

Rhodey swallowed and straightened his spine.

“You’re ok.” Rhodey stressed.

Tony shrugged.

“About ok as I can be, you know that.” Tony stated.

Green walked over and stood by Tony’s side. Tony eyed the four clones that Steve and the others had.

“I see you found my boys. Care to give them back?” Tony asked lightly, holding out his hand.

Rhodey found himself gritting his teeth. What the fuck? Was Tony really acting this way?

“What the hell, Stark! You’ve been here for two weeks and this is how you act!” Rhodey snapped.

Tony’s smile dropped and he stared at Rhodey in confusion.

“Two weeks? What are you talking about? I’ve been here three days, tops.” Tony replied.

Rhodey felt his stomach sink. Green cleared his throat.

“Actually, my king, he is quite right. It’s been about two weeks.” Green stated.

Tony’s head snapped to him and then looked down.

“Two weeks? That’s not right.” Tony muttered, rubbing his forehead.

Rhodey took a step forward.

“I wouldn’t lie to you about that, Tones.” Rhodey said softly.

Tony’s eyes turned to him and they were hard.

“Sorry if I’m not 100% sure about that after the little display you put on earlier. Getting real cozy with the rogue Avengers there, Honey Bear.” Tony stated coldly.

Rhodey blinked, startled by the venom in his voice. Green’s head looked up and he hummed.

“My king, it seems the others have been collected.” Green stated.

They heard yelling then and watched as Clint, Sam and T’Challa were all dragged in by even more clones. How many fucking clones were there? It seemed like a small army.

“Hands off!” Clint snapped.

Tony rolled his eyes and the clones dropped all three of them.

“Welcome to the party, Barton.” Tony said boredly.

Clint’s head snapped up and he pointed.

“I fucking knew it! I fucking called it! I told you he was fine!” Clint yelled, looking at Steve.

Natasha hissed something at him in Russian that made Clint stop and pout.

“I told you he was fine.” Clint grumbled.

“While I am pleased you are ok, Mr. Stark, I would like to know where you have been for the past two weeks and why you stole from me?” T’Challa stated.

“You can’t steal what was already your’s. Those were my parts I was sending to you. I just decided to take them back.” Tony replied, annoyed.

The two had a brief stare off before Rhodey coughed.

“What is going on, Tones? I mean, no offense, but I didn’t think you were into cloning and that kind of stuff. And I would know.” Rhodey stated.

“Finally living up to your evil mastermind dreams, Stark?” Clint demanded.

Tony scowled and looked thunderous. The clones shifted, as if sensing his mood and Natasha eyed this all with great worry. They were a hive mind right? Did that mean they were all connected to Tony?

“I will have you know, I was kidnapped and forced into this, Barton. They threw me in this really uncomfortable chair and tried to break my mind, but I was stronger. I’m sure you wouldn’t know anything about having your free will almost striped away.” Tony snapped.

Clint flinched back, eyes wide before he shot to his feet.

“How fucking dare…!” Clint hissed.

Tony shot to his feet.

“NO!” he roared.

All around them, the lab started to come to life. Machine whirled to life and the glow from them illuminated something on the ceiling. Steve felt his mouth go dry as thousands of eyes seemed to be staring back at them.

“How dare YOU, Barton! How dare you sit there and accuse me as if you weren’t the one who betrayed me first! As if it wasn’t you who didn’t trust me first!” Tony yelled.

The eyes were moving, falling from the ceiling and revealed very big spiders with glowing blue eyes. Steve could honestly say it was like staring into a nightmare.

“Spiders? Why does it have to be spiders?” Bucky whispered.

“You honestly, truly think I wanted to hurt Wanda? To hurt any of you! I was trying to protect you from something so much worse, but none of you, none of you even wanted to believe me! None of you would even listen to me! Despite the fact that I was the only one trying to keep Ross from sinking his claws into you all! Into you and your families!” Tony yelled.

Rhodey took a step back as those spider things started to crowd around them.

“Do you know what he would have done to you! Because I do and I tried at every turn to warn you what was coming, but I had my hands tied. Because if I told you straight out, you all would have run in there like the group of jackasses you are and been wiped out! And then what! I was the only one thinking about the future!” Tony continued.

“Tony. Please.” Steve said.

“And you! You were the worst of all!” Tony laughed, but it was mocking.

“You actually made me believe I was a part of the team, but even then, I was never good enough for you! ‘Howard would do this’, ‘Howard would do that’, ‘Howard would be disappointed in you.’! News flash, Cap! He already was! BECAUSE I COULDN’T BE YOU!” Tony screamed at the top of his lungs.

It was quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Tony was breathing hard, body shaking before he slumped back in the throne and covered his face with his hand. One of the smaller spiderlings crawled over to him and gave a chirp. Tony lifted his head and then smiled. The Avengers gasped. The smile Tony had was the most beautiful thing, so full of love and care, absolute adoration as he bent down and scooped the creature into his arms. He held it close, like a father holding his son.

“I’m… sorry, Rhodey… Peter, for yelling at you both. You aren’t the ones I’m angry at, but I can’t sit here and act like I wasn’t betrayed by the very people I called my team. I did everything I could to protect you all and you threw it back in my face.” Tony shook his head as he hugged the spider closer.

“Mr. Stark… what are these things? And what happened to you?” Peter asked curiously.

Tony looked around. 

“I’m not sure. They are creations of the original. They don’t have a name or at least, not one I can pronounce.” Tony said.

“The original?” Peter asked.

Tony looked up and lights came on, illuminating the entire room for the first time. They all stared at the large spider, sitting above their heads.

“I think… I might be sick.” Sam said, covering his mouth.

Tony stood up and moved until he was underneath it. They watched as the head moved, the body twitched, reacting to Tony’s movements. That’s when Rhodey saw something blue, stuck to the back of Tony’s head.

“The original was dying. He created both these spiderlings and the clones in his final years to help him find a new host. He was looking for someone strong enough to handle his power.” Tony explained.

“And he picked you?” Steve asked.

Tony turned to him and flashed a smile.

“No. Oh, he thought he could overtake me, take control of my body and use me as he wanted. I was much stronger than he expected and I overpowered him instead.” Tony replied.

“So these spiderlings are connected to you?” Natasha asked.

“Just like the clones you see around you.” Tony stated.

“So, what now, Mr. Stark? We came to get you. You can come home now!” Peter said.

Tony paused, facing falling.

“I don’t want to go back.” Tony stated.

Peter stopped and his arms dropped.

“Mr. Stark?” Peter called.

“I… I don’t want to go back. In fact, I refuse to go back.” Tony shook his head.

Tony turned from them, holding the spider creature closer. The other spiderlings moved away from the Avengers, going to stand by their master instead, circling him as if to protect him from the world. He idly reached out and pet the head of one of the large ones.

“I’m… tired.” Tony said slowly.

“Tones.” Rhodey whispered.

“I’m tired of people, of not being good enough, of things being demanded of me, I’m tired of it all.” Tony admitted.

Steve felt the sorrow in his chest. Tony had always looked so strong, so confident. He had often forgotten that there was a man behind that mask most of the time.

“What are you going to do then?” Rhodey asked.

Tony looked up and shook his head.

“Stay here. With them. I’ll still make weapons, do the upgrades, keep our world safe, but I’m taking a step back. Iron Man… Iron Man is retiring. Rhodey, Peter, you both are welcome here, but…” his eyes trailed over to the Avengers and they hardened.

“The Avengers are not. And never will be. So leave.” Tony declared.

Steve felt it like a hot iron to his chest. Tony hated them,didn’t even want them here. He turned to the others and they looked just as sad before Steve nodded.

“Fine. We’ll go.” Steve muttered.

Tony nodded.

“It’s the only thing you’re good at, Rogers. Leaving me in the dust. Why change now? But before you go, release my clones.” Tony stated.

Steve turned to Natasha, who nodded and the clones were freed. They moved to stand by their creator and it was the realization that this was it. Tony had made his line in the sand and Steve wasn’t about to cross it, not this time.

“I will lead you out.” Green said taking a few steps forward.

“No, I will. I want to be sure they leave.” Tony stated.

Steve nodded and the Avengers left the room, Tony watching their every move, his children following behind him with Rhodey and Peter at the rear. However, when they hit the front lawn, they were met with an army of men, all decked out in military grade gear, with none other than Secretary Ross at the lead.

“Finally found you, Mr. Stark.” Ross said smugly.

Tony curled protectively around the spider in his arms, his blue eyes flashing.

“What do you want, Ross?” Tony demanded.

Ross took a step forward as his army raised their weapons. 

“Why, Mr. Stark, I thought that was obvious. I came to arrest you along with the Avengers.” Ross said boldly.

“For what!” Rhodey demanded.

“Well, the Avengers have left their Compound without alerting the proper authorities first.” Ross said.

“Actually, the Avengers are under my care for the time being. I made sure to clear that with the UN.” Rhodey stated.

Ross just gave a smirk.

“Fine, I’ll accept that explanation, but I doubt the UN will be as willing to accept that Tony Stark has been stealing millions of dollars worth of technology, hiding in a mansion in New Jersey while claiming to be kidnapped, wasting law enforcements’ time and resources. Oh yes, I doubt your fancy lawyers can get you out of this one.” Ross said.

Tony shuddered and his spiderlings started to appear all over the house. Ross’ smile dropped for a moment, staring at them with horror.

“Dear god, Stark, what have you done?” Ross demanded.

Green stepped down for the porch as his fellow clones appeared.

“Mr. Stark has done nothing, but keep us alive. You are trespassing and will be removed.” Green stated coldly.

Ross eyed the man and then his fellow clones with nervousness.

“Just leave, Ross. If you want to bring the UN here, fine, but you are not going anywhere near my babies.” Tony stated angrily.

A few of the spiderlings let out loud chirps that made some of the men shudder. Ross’ face turned red and he glared at Tony.

“You think this is over, Stark? I will have you arrested and locked away for the rest of your life. Good news for you, I have plenty of cells on the Raft that need a new prisoner. I’m sure you know exactly which ones I am talking about since you were the one to help empty them.” Ross said.

“I did what I had to. I knew what you were going to do.” Tony replied.

“So you admit to breaking the Avengers out?” Ross sneered.

“Of course, that was never even a question, you were just too chicken shit to ask me flat out.” Tony said.

“Then I will add that to your growing list of charges. Illegal human experimentation, prison break, the list just keeps going.” Ross explained.

“I’m not scared of you, Ross.” Tony said.

Ross paused.

“I’m not. You can come at me with all you have, but I won’t back down and I will win.” Tony said boldly.

Ross’ jaw clenched and he pulled a gun. There was a moment where everything slowed down. Tony jerked back, eyes wide with shock at his boldness as Ross pulled the trigger.

“NO!” Steve roared.

He grabbed the back of Tony’s shirt and pulled, trying to get him out of the way, but he ended up making it worse because instead of Tony taking the hit, the spiderling in his arms did. There was a cry, a splatter of blue blood and then Tony screamed.

“No! No, no, no please no!” Tony dropped to his knees, crying hysterically.

He cradled the limp body and everyone stood there, unsure of what to do when it happened. The spiderlings started to change colors, going from blue to red as Tony lifted his head, his now red eyes flashing.

“You murdered my baby.” Tony hissed, but his voice wasn’t his own.

It was mixed with something deeper, darker. Tony screamed and with that, the spiderlings surged forward like a wave. The first soldier didn’t have a chance, was torn in half by the spiderling’s jaws and the rest of the soldiers followed. They tried to shoot them, but bullets bounced off. Steve and the others watched in horror as the army was torn to bits, all while Ross attempted to flee. Tony turned to Green.

“Get. Him.” Tony demanded.

Green nodded and he raced after the man. He caught up to him soon enough and though Ross shot him in the head, the bullet barely pierced the skin before it was stopped and Green simply grabbed Ross, dragging him back to the house. Tony stood up, arms wrapped tightly around his dead child and he glared.

“You wanted a supervillain, Ross? Well, now you are going to get one.” Tony said coldly.

Steve quickly placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder, only to be grabbed by two clones and dragged away. He turned to see the others, beside Rhodey and Peter, had been grabbed too.

“Tony!” Steve yelled.

“Mr. Stark, please!” Peter cried.

“NO!” Tony roared, eyes red with rage.

“No! No, I have had enough of everything I love and adore being ripped away from me. Peter… Peter was only a baby.” Tony said, looking down at the spiderling in his arms before he let out a wailing cry.

“Mr. Stark.” Peter muttered as he walked over.

Tony looked at him and Peter placed a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s going to be ok, Mr. Stark. We can fix this.” Peter said, gently.

Tony just shook his head and pulled away.

“No, no we can’t. I’m sorry, kid, but there is no fixing me.” Tony muttered.

The clones released the Avengers and turned to the mansion. The spiderlings were quick to file inside and Tony turned to the mansion as well. Green was by his side, carrying Ross over his shoulder.

“Just go home, kid.” Tony muttered before they disappeared into the house, doors slamming shut behind them.

Peter looked towards the doors before looking at Rhodey.

“W-What do we do?” he whispered.

Rhodey just shook his head.

“There’s nothing we can do, Pete.” Rhodey said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Peter shuddered and broke down crying. Steve looked out at the carnage and could only close his eyes.


End file.
